Device for grounding trolley-cords.



V P.E.GASE. DEVICE FOR GROUNDING TROLLEY GORDS.

APPLICATION II LED SEPT. 25, 1908.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Fl .1. 1 F1 .12.

9 A2 gm EH2 m I 5 /O ll l llll ll llll' II HH" ll HII INVENTDRIFHANKBEAEE COLUMBIA PLANOQIIAPHCO..WASHINOTDN u c UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FRANK E. CASE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

DEVICE FOR GROUNDING TROLLEY-CORDS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. CASE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for GroundingTrolley-Cords, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to electric railways, and its object is toprotect the trainmen from danger of injurious shock from overheadconductors charged to high potentials.

At the present time a number of electric railways are equipped withoverhead conductors carrying currents as high as 6600 volts, collectedby a trolley wheel carried on the ordinary type of trolley pole, usuallyprovided with a cord for enabling the car conductor or other trainman topull down the pole when necessary. So long as the cord remains dry, itoffers sufiicient resist-- ance to the electric current to make it safefor the trainman to handle it. But in wet weather, the moistened cordbecomes more or less conductive, so that on high voltage lines there isdanger of serious shock to the trainman when he grasps said cord. Myinvention aims to prevent all possibility of trouble of this kind byproviding a permanent ground connection for the cord which will notinterfere with its ordinary operation but will at all times afford apath to earth for any current which may leak down the cord. The point ofconnection of this ground conductor is always above that part of thecord grasped by the trainman, that is to say, between him and thetrolley wheel.

In carrying out my invention I place a track upon the hood of the carand mount thereon a small traveler in which is an upright guide-openingthrough which the trolley cord passes with very little friction. Thetraveler shifts with the cord from one side of the car to the other infollowing the lateral movements of the trolley pole. The track beinggrounded there is no danger of shock to a man who takes hold of the cordat any point below it.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portionof an electric railway car equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is a rearelevation of the track Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1908.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911.

Serial No. 454,759.

and traveler; Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the traveler on a largerscale; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section thereof.

On the roof of the car 1 is mounted the insulated stand 2 which carriesthe trolley pole 3 having a traveling contact, such as the wheel 4,running along the overhead conductor 5. The cord 6 is attached to theupper end of the pole and hangs down over the end of the car, beingpreferably attached to a retriever 7. Across the end of the hood 8 ofthe car is a track 9, consisting preferably of a bar of metal,preferably curved to conform to the curvature of the hood, and supportedat each end by brackets 10 fastened to the hood. The traveler has a body11 to the back of which are pivotally attached grooved wheels 12,preferably four in number, and fitting the upper and lower edges of thetrack, so that said traveler can ride freely to and fro thereon. To thebody 11 is secured a guide through which the cord 6 passes, said guideconsisting preferably of an upright tube 13. Means are provided formaking a good contact with the cord, consisting preferably of a fiatarched spring 14 seated in a recess 15 at one side of the bore of thetube, into which the middle portion of said spring projects, so as topress against the cord. The track is grounded through the met-a1 workand wheels of the car, so that any leakage current on the cord will beled ofl before it reaches the lower part of the cord, which is theportion grasped'by the trainman when he wishes to pull down the trolley,This operation is independent of the length of the cord above thetraveler, as the protection is constant whether the trolley be down orup, whether on the wire, or ofi the same with the cord in contact withthe overhead structure.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of operation of my invention, together with theapparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is onlyillustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is,-

l. The combination with a trolley car and a trolley cord, of a guidehaving means for maintaining contact With said cord mounted on the carand permanently grounded.

2. The combination With a trolley car and trolley cord, of a permanentlygrounded guide for said cord laterally movable on the ear.

3. The combination with a trolley car and a trolley cord, of a groundedtrack on said car, and a traveler on said track adapted to guide saidcord.

4:. The combination With a trolley car and a trolley cord, of a groundedtrack on said car, a traveler on said track, and a guide tube on saidtraveler.

5. The combination with a trolley car and a trolley cord, of a groundedtrack on said car, a traveler on said track, a guide-tube on saidtraveler, and a contact device in said tube. v

6. The combination With a trolley car and a trolley cord, of a groundedtrack on the hood of the car, a Wheeled traveler on said track, aguide-tube on said traveler, and a spring in said tube.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 23rd day ofSeptember, 1908.

FRANK E. CASE. lVitnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. VVOOLLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

